Granular material dispenser



Nov. 19, 1963 w. P. REED GRANULAR MATERIAL DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5. 1961 INVENTOR.

Nov. 19, 1963 w. P. REED 3,111,242

GRANULAR MATERIAL DISPENSEiR Filed Jan. 5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v I v/ Qig QR N o0 F E .3

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I 9 BY @6400- L 7 v anlfiowqfiMg United States Patent 3,111,242 GRANULAR MATERIAL lildl ill lgllll William Paul Reed, 9739 Magnolia, Bloomington, llalit. Filed lan- 5, 1961, Ser. No. Silflhil 4 CE. 222-183} This invention relates to dispensing machines. More particularly, the invention relates to machines for dispensing granular or powdered material.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a device which will dispense powdered or granular material such as flower, sugar, etc., in an efficient manner.

it is another object of this invention to provide a dispensing machine which is power operated and therefore requires practically no manual effort to operate.

It is another object of this invention to provide a dispensing machine which may be recessed within the walls of a building and concealed therein so as to have an artistic or eye-appealing external appearance.

it is still another object of this invention to provide a power operated dispensing machine comprising one integral box-like unit which may be easily mounted within a wall recess and removed therefrom with a minimum of effort for refilling or servicing thereof.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a dispensing device particularly adapted for use in home or commercial kitchens for dispensing foods and which is almost completely noiseless in operation.

'It is even yet another object of this invention to provide a dispensing device comprising a minimum of parts and designed for economy of manufacture and maintenance.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE '1 is a front elevational view showing two of the power operated dispensing units mounted side-by-side within a wall recess.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view in perspective showing one of the dispensing units as it would appear when removed from the wall recess;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 33 in FiGURE 4; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 5-4- in FlGURE 1.

As seen in FIGURE 1, two complete dispensing units ill and 12 are shown mounted in a recess within a Wall. The opening of the recess is trimmed around its edges by molding l8 and is divided into two receptacles l4 and 16 by a vertical divider plate 29 whose front face lies flush with the molding 13. The molding 1% is secured to the edges of wallboard 22 which define the entrance to the recess. The inside of the recess may be completely boxed in or enclosed by vertical framing members 24 and horizontal framing members 26 and 2-8. The back of the recess is defined by a vertical wall 39. The dispensing assemblies '19 and '12 having a sliding lit with the edges of the receptacles 14- and 16.

The permanent or stationary frame 18 shown in F1 URE 1 need not necessarily be recessed into a wall as explained above. The frame could be secured to the surface of a wall so as to project therefrom, or it could be placed on a stand or counter.

Referring to FIGURES 2 through 4, it can be seen that each of the dispensing units is substantially rectangular and box-like in shape. The supporting frame work for each dispenser is U-shaped in cross-section and composed of a vertical back wall 24 and a spaced vertical front wall 28 spaced from each other and connected integrally at their lower edges by the horizontally extending floor 3,12 l l 242 Patented Nov. 19, 1963 "ice member 26. The upper end of the back wall 24 is bent forwardly to form a horizontally extending flange 35 which has its free end bent downwardly to form a vertical flange 32. Gonnected between the front wall 23 and the flange 32 is a hopper assembly 34. The hopper assembly has sloping bottom walls as and 33 integrally connected to vertically extending front wall at back wall 42 and side walls 44 and 46. As snown in FIGURE 2, the four walls are integrally connected together to form a box-like receptacle. The sloping floors 36 and 3% are connected by a U-shaped channel member 48 as shown in FIG- URE 3.

Referring to FlGURES l and 2, it can be seen that the face or" the dispenser is covered by a finished plate 59 which is secured to plate 23 by means of screws 52. The finished plate 5t has a U-shaped aperture extending therethrough whose edges are defined by the cross-sectional shape of the U-shaped spout 5 which is secured to the plate Ell around the edges of the aperture. The aperture is closed by a swinging door 66 mounted on a horizontal axis 69 which is rotatable in apertured flanges 56 and 58 which are secured to the finished plate and extend forwardly therefrom. The spindle has secured to its center portion and extending therefrom at right angles a handle member as which has a spherical knob fixed to its outer end. The support walls 28 and 49 also have apertures of the same shape and size in alignment with the apertures in the plate Si which is covered by the swinging door 66. The upper portion of the channel 48 is completely enclosed by a horizontally extending screen member 63. Rotatably mounted within the U-shaped channel it; is an auger 7% which extends the entire length of the channel and substantially occupies the entire volume thereof. The anger is integrally formed with the shaft member 72. whose rear end is reduced in diameter and rotatably mounted in the machine as indicated at 74 and 76. The machined portions and 76 are rotatably mounted within finished apertures with the wall members 2 and 42.

Fixed to the rear end of the shaft 72 is a drive gear 78 and driven pulley 8t Rotatably mounted within the hopper 34 is a shaft 82 extending into bearing apertures in the walls 44} and 42 and having integrally connected therewith U-shaped stirring members 8% spaced 90 from one another as shown in PTGURE 3. The rear end of the shaft 82 is secured to a driven gear 85 engageable with an idler gear 38 mounted on a spindle fixed to the rear side of the wall 42. The gear 73 on shaft 72 drives idler gear 83 which in turn drives driven gear 86 for rotating the stirring members 84.

Fixed to th door 26 by conventional means such as bolts, not shown, is an electric motor )il having a drive pulley 91 which drives a V-belt 92.. The \l-bolt in turn drives the driven pulley ht? which in turn drives the auger 7G and the stirring members 84 by means of the gear train.

As shown in FIGURE 1 each of the dispensing devices is operated by a separate electric motor 9%. However, by providing a single electric motor having two V-belt pulleys thereon, it is obvious that a single motor may be used for driving both the dispensing devices. As shown, each motor 99 is controlled by switches 96 and 97 mounted on the framing member 2 and connected to the motors by wiring 8. The wiring 98 may have a conventional plug on its outer end for connection with a conventional female receptacle in the motor 9% whereby the en- 're dispensing device may be removed from the wall and easily disconnected from the wiring.

In operation, the dispensing devices are pulled outwardly from the wall in the s he manner that a drawer is pulled outwardly from a bureau and the hoppers 34 are filled with the desired material such as flour or sugar as indicated at Mill and then the dispensing devices are pushed back into the wall until the finished plate is flush with the rnoldin 123. if it is desired to remove a quantity of the material 1% from the dispensing device, the operator first manually lifts the knob 6d upwardly which opens the door so and then places a receptacle under the spout 54. The appropriate switch 96 or 97 is then operated to energize the electric motor 99 which in turn rotates the stirring members 84 and the auger 79. The stirring members 84 force the material 1% over the creen 63 whereby the material is forced through the screen and into the arbor and thereby sifted. The threaded auger then forces the material into the spout 54 and into the receptacle below the same.

From the above, it can be seen that the novel dispenser is particularly useful in kitchens, and when used therein saves considerable space. Although the device has been found particularly useful for dispensin such kitchen items as flour and sugar, it is clear that the dispenser could be used for dispensing many other substances.

if desired, the dispensing device may be locked to the wall receptacle by conventional locking means.

The gear train for driving the stirring members and auger 78 are preferably made of a material such as molded fiber so that they are substantially noiseless in operation. However, the gears may be made of metal and still be substantially noiseless in operation if properly made.

It is not necessary that the hopper as"ernblies be mounted as shown in FIG. 2. The hopper assemblies 3 could be directly slidably mounted in the frame 18 without being attached to the walls 24, 2S and These walls could be omitted. The motor 90, the pulley 8%, and the belt 92 could be permanently mounted on the frame 26 and wall 24. The rear end 7d of shaft 72 could be of rectangular cross-section so as to have a sliding fit in a rectangular hole in pulley St for permitting separation of the shaft and pulley when the hopper and auger 70 are removed from the frame. The front wall '54 could be secured to the front of the hopper to permit separation of this wall and the hopper from the motor and frame. Having the motor mounted on the frame makes the hopper lighter for easier handling.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a vertical wall structure having a box-shaped recess therein, a dispenser slidably and removably disposed within said recess comprising a box-like support having a planar bottom and spaced inner and outer side surfaces, said outer side surface being flush with a surface of the wall when said dispenser is disposed Within said recess and the remaining surfaces of said support completely filling said recess, a reservoir open at its top for the reception of material to be dispensed attached within the support between said inner and outer side surfaces of said support but having portions spaced from the bottom surface thereof, the top of the reservoir being closed by said wall recess when the dispenser is disposed therein, an aperture in the bottom of the reservoir, means in the reservoir and adjacent the aperture for forcing i stored substances from the reservoir and through the aperture, electric power means carried by the support seated on the bottom surface thereof between said surface and the spaced portions of the reservoir operatively connected to the forcing means, stirring means movable in the reservoir by the electric power means for moving said substances into said forcing means, screen means secured on said reservoir separating said stirring means and said forcing means for sifting substances forced into the forcing means by the stirring means and door means covering said aperture urged into a closed position by an operating lever having a weighted knob on its free end, said door means extending beyond the surface of the wall when the outer side surface of the support is flush therewith providing access to said dispenser.

2. The combination of claim 1 further comprising a belt drive connecting the electric power means and forcing means and a gear train connecting the forcing means and stirring means for rotating them in the same direction.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the stirring means comprises a rotatable shaft fixed to a plurality of U- shaped wire members rotatable adjacent the screen means.

4. In combination with a vertical wall structure having a box-shaped recess therein, a molding secured to the edges of said recess and dividing it into a plurality of box-shaped compartments, a plurality of dispensers slidably and removably disposed within said recess each of which comprises a box-line sup-port, having planar bottom and spaced inner and outer side surfaces, said outer side surface being flush with a surface of the wall when each of said dispensers is disposed within said recess, a reservoir open at its top for reception of material to be dispensed attached within the support, between said inner and outer side surfaces of said support but having portions spaced from the bottom surface thereof, the top of the reservoir being closed by said wall recess when the dispenser is disposed therein, an aperture in the bottom of the reservoir, means in the reservoir and adjacent the apertures for forcing stored substances from the reservoir to the aperture, electric power means carried by the support seated on the bottom surface thereof between said surface and the spaced portions of the reservoir operatively connected to the forcing means, stirring means movable in the reservoir by the electric power means for moving said substances into said forcing means, screen means secured in said reservoir separating said stirring means and said forciru means for sifting substances forced into the forcing means by the stirring means and door means covering said aperture urged into a closed position by an operating lever having a weighted knob on its free end, said door means extending beyond the surface of the wall when the outer side surface of the support is flush therewith providing access to said dispenser.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A VERTICAL WALL STRUCTURE HAVING A BOX-SHAPED RECESS THEREIN, A DISPENSER SLIDABLY AND REMOVABLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID RECESS COMPRISING A BOX-LIKE SUPPORT HAVING A PLANAR BOTTOM AND SPACED INNER AND OUTER SIDE SURFACES, SAID OUTER SIDE SURFACE BEING FLUSH WITH A SURFACE OF THE WALL WHEN SAID DISPENSER IS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID RECESS AND THE REMAINING SURFACES OF SAID SUPPORT COMPLETELY FILLING SAID RECESS, A RESERVOIR OPEN AT ITS TOP FOR THE RECEPTION OF MATERIAL TO BE DISPENSED ATTACHED WITHIN THE SUPPORT BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER SIDE SURFACES OF SAID SUPPORT BUT HAVING PORTIONS SPACED FROM THE BOTTOM SURFACE THEREOF, THE TOP OF THE RESERVOIR BEING CLOSED BY SAID WALL RECESS WHEN THE DISPENSER IS DISPOSED THEREIN, AN APERTURE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE RESERVOIR, MEANS IN THE RESERVOIR AND ADJACENT THE APERTURE FOR FORCING STORED SUBSTANCES FROM THE RESERVOIR AND THROUGH THE APERTURE, ELECTRIC POWER MEANS CARRIED BY THE SUPPORT SEATED ON THE BOTTOM SURFACE THEREOF BETWEEN SAID SURFACE AND THE SPACED PORTIONS OF THE RESERVOIR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE FORCING MEANS, STIRRING MEANS MOVABLE IN THE RESERVOIR BY THE ELECTRIC POWER MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SUBSTANCES INTO SAID FORCING MEANS, SCREEN MEANS SECURED ON SAID RESERVOIR SEPARATING SAID STIRRING MEANS AND SAID FORCING MEANS FOR SIFTING SUBSTANCES FORCED INTO THE FORCING MEANS BY THE STIRRING MEANS AND DOOR MEANS COVERING SAID APERTURE URGED INTO A CLOSED POSITION BY AN OPERATING LEVER HAVING A WEIGHTED KNOB ON ITS FREE END, SAID DOOR MEANS EXTENDING BEYOND THE SURFACE OF THE WALL WHEN THE OUTER SIDE SURFACE OF THE SUPPORT IS FLUSH THEREWITH PROVIDING ACCESS TO SAID DISPENSER. 